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The only way out of exile and back to your homeland is through dangerous territory where incredibly powerful enemy craft lie in wait.

But, armed with the most sophisticated weapons systems, guarded by a prospective forcefield, you set out on your death-defying crusade to conquer the enemy starbase which threatens your journey.

Your ship is equipped with a basic laser gun - but if you strain your eyes and shoot the large floating mass that appears now and again, a small square is visible. Pick it up, and more weapons become available ranging from pulse waves to K-rings (which give you three times the firepower of the laser).

There are also limited smart bombs installed in your ship.

The last mission is the ultimate mission - your goal is to destroy all the enemy bases and fighters in each level and return to your beloved homeland where your wife and two kids are waiting in anticipation.

There are a lot of decent monochrome shoot-'em-ups on the Spectrum, so when a below-average one such as Last Mission comes out, it looks particularly bad. There seems little point in producing a game in which even a novice player can just go on shooting non-stop for hours - the only way of dying is of boredom. You can only be grateful that this is the "last mission"; at least we'll have no follow-ups.

Last Mission is pleasant enough and may appeal to Shadow Skimmer freaks. There's a reasonable title tune and the usual spot FX, and the graphics are well-defined, with excellent shading. There's also the attraction of different weapons, though you have to collect them first. But there are simply too many games of this genre on the market, and Last Mission doesn't stand out.

I wasn't impressed by Last Mission. The graphics are fine, but the backgrounds led to more than one case of chronic what-hit-me-itis. The game's main flaw, for me, is the speed. The turning speed and the actual flying speed aren't well matched: the plane responds quickly to rotate commands, but actually flies forward too slowly. Indeed, Last Mission is all a bit simple and slow.

Joysticks: Kempston, Sinclair
Graphics: Good shading effects and well-defined sprites
Sound: Reasonable tune, dull FX
General Rating: An unimpressive shoot-'em-up